Automatic cistern cut-off.



E. S. SHELBY.

AUTOMATIC GISTERN GUT-OFF.

APPLICATION FILED 11.13, 1911.

1,006, 1 38. Patented 001. 17, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON. [L c.

E. S. SHELBY.

AUTOMATIC GISTERN GUT-OFF.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.13, 1911.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

2 8HBETS-8HEET 2.

cu. \VASHIN coLum EVAN S. SHELBY, OF LA FAYETTE, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC CISTERN CUT-OFF.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 13, 1911.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

Serial No. 602,519.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVAN S. SHELBY, a citizen of the United States,residing at La Fayette, in the county of Tippecanoe, State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic CisternCut-Ofis, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to cistern cut-offs, and has for its object toprovide an improved automatic cutoff in that class of cistern pipes inwhich the down-spout from the roof has connections both to the cisternand to a sewer or other means for discharging waste.

Briefly stated, my invention comprises a casing receiving the lower endof the downspout, and provided with two discharge pipes, one going tothe waste and the other to the cistern. A bucket or other receiver ishung in or just below the end of the downspout, and is connected by achain or cord passing over pulleys to the operating lever of a valvelying below it, and serving to direct the water from the down-spout intoeither the waste pipe or the cistern pipe, according to the position andcondition of the bucket.

Detail features of improvement will appear from the descriptionhereinafter.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical axial section of one embodiment of my invention,showing the operating parts in position to discharge into the wastepipe. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asectional view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified arrangement of thevalve. Fig. 4; is a plan view of this modification, the lid beingremoved. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a further modification.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 designates a casing of suitable material,preferably sheet metal, having an opening in its top to receive thedown-spout 2, a similar opening in its bottom flanged at 3 to fit thecistern pipe, and a lateral opening at 4 to receive the waste pipe. Thebottom of the casing is sloped at 5 so as to drain into the cisternpipe. A flat valve 6 is hinged at 7, below the waste pipe, so as to openand close the same as it is swung upon its pivot. Secured upon one wallof the down-spout extension "2 are brackets '8 and 9 for the pulleys 10and 11, over which passes a cord or chain 12 secured at its upper end tothe bucket 13 and at its lower end to the lever 14 extending out fromthe back of the valve 6 and carrying a counterweight 15. It should benoted that when the bucket is in the position shown in dotted lines andthe valve 6 is closed, the upper edge of the latter is protected by ahood or inclined flange 6*, so as to prevent accidental lodgment ofmaterial washed down from the roof, and also prevent the water passingto the cistern from penetrating between the valve and its seat so as toopen it prematurely. The bucket 13 is covered with gauze 16 and has asmall opening 17 in its bottom protected by gauze hood 18. The bucket ismade of a diameter considerably less than that of the down-spout so asto leave a substantial clearance all around. The operation of this formof the apparatus is as follows: Normally the parts stand as shown infull lines in Fig. 1, the bucket being empty, and the weight of thevalve and the counterweight 15 being sufiicient to draw the bucket upinto the end of the down-spout, and open the waste pipe. When a showercommences, the first wash from the roof is usually rather light, and inpassing through the down-spout, the water follows and clings to itswalls. Very little of this first wash therefore will enter the bucket13, practically all of it passing down between the bucket and the wallsof the down-spout, carrying with it soot, leaves, and other foreignmatters accumulated on the roof, which pass over the valve 6 and intothe waste pipe. As the rainfall increases in volume however, more andmore of the discharge passes into the bucket 13 until its Weight issuflicient to raise the counterweight 15 and the valve 6, when the partsassume the position shown in dotted lines, with the waste pipe closed,and the cistern pipe unobstructed to receive the clear water. As long asthe shower continues and sufficient-water passes down the spout 2, thebucket will remain full, since it hangs in the direct path of thedischarge, and its discharge pipe opening is relatively very small. Whenthe rainfall finally ceases however, the bucket will slowly empty itselfand again rise to the position shown in Fig. 1.

7 Figs. 3 and 4: show the same form of bucket, down-spout and pulleys asFigs. 1 and 2, but the arrangement of the valve and discharge pipes isdifierent. In this case the valve 6' is centrally pivoted on atransverse flange 7 extending across the casing intermediate of the twodischarge openings, to the cistern and to the waste pipe respectively,both of which are located in the bottom of the casing. Extending inwardfrom the side walls of the casing are two inclined bafiies or chutes l8and 19, either of which will direct the discharge over the valve whenthe latter is swung on its pivot to that side. Thus, with the parts inthe position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, the first wash from the roofpasses down around the bucket and strikes in part on the baffle 18 andin part on the upper inclined face of the valve 6, being deflectedthereby through the opening 19 into the waste pipe 1; and when the washhas increased in volume so as to load the bucket sufliciently, the valveis thrown over v through the opening 20 to the cistern pipe 3.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to use a suspendedbucket to operate a valve so as to direct the wash from the roof intoeither a waste pipe or a cistern.

I shall not claim this feature broadly therefore.

So far as I know however such devices as have heretofore been broughtout are not satisfactory for the reason that none valve will be kept inoperative position to fill the cistern as long as the rainfallcontinues, the limit being when the fall is so light that the dischargethrough the opening 17 of the bucket is not compensated for, and

no dirty water passes into the cistern either directly or from thebucket. It will be noted moreover that the arrangement of my casing andvalve in both forms and particularly in the form shown in Figs. 3 an tis such that accidental clogging by accumulation of waste matter such asleaves is rendered almost impossible. The only obstruction in the way ofclear water discharge is the lever or handle 14 and there is noobstruction whatever in the path of the first wash as it passes to thewaste pipe. Moreover, the lever 14; is made of very small diameter, andmay be carried to one side of the valve instead of the middle, and ifdesired may be formed in U-shape like a bail, with its ends attached toopposite sides of the valve, and its legs lying close to the side wallsof the l casing. The cord 12 would then be attached to the arch of the Uand the discharge would pass between its legs.

I am aware that divers and sundry changes may be made in non-essentialdetails of the apparatus thus described, without departing from thespirit of my invention. I wish it understood that I contemplate all suchchanges as fall fairly within the scope of the appended claims. Forexample, Fig. 5 shows the bucket constructed and arranged so as toperform the functions of the valve, being pivoted at 6 and having oneside 6 continued as a fiat chute or baffle plate extended substantiallyfrom one side of the casing l to the other. Normally the drip from thedownspout 2 passes around the bucket and into the waste pipe 4, but whensufficient water has entered the bucket, it turns upon the pivot 6lifting the coun-. terweight 6' and assuming the position shown indotted lines, whereupon the discharge from spout 2 passes over theoutside of the baffle 6 and is directed into the cistern pipe 3.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. In a device of the class described, a casing, adown-spout entering the upper portion thereof, a bucket of smallerdiameter than the down-spout hung centrally and directly beneath thesame without intervening obstruction, a waste pipe and a cistern pipeseparately connected to the casing, a valve movably secured within thecasing in the path of the flow from the down-spout after it passes thebucket, and a working connection between the bucket and valve adapted toshift the latter so as to drain the water into the waste pipe when thebucket is empty and into the cistern pipe when the bucket is filled,whereby a first limited wash, flowing along the walls of the down-spoutwill not fill the bucket, but passing the same 11 will be deflected intothe discharge pipe, while a fuller flow, by filling the bucket willshift the valve to automatically deflect itself into the cistern.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing, a downspout enteringthe upper portion thereof, a bucket suspended so as to reciprocatevertically in the axis of the spout and normally lying partly within thev same, but with a clearance space around it, a cistern pipe and a wastepipe connected to the lower portion of the casing, a valve adapted todrain the water alternately into the cistern and the waste pipe, and anoperating connection between the bucket and the valve adapted to movethe valve so as to close the waste pipe when the bucket is filled, andthe reverse when the bucket isempty, substantially as described. a

3. In a device of the class described, 21.13.)

casing, a down-spout entering the upper portion thereof, a bucket havinga diameter less than that of the down-spout and sus pended so as toreciprocate vertically in the axis thereof, said bucket normally lyingpartially within the spout, a cistern pipe and a waste pipe connected tothe lower portion of the casing, a valve adapted to drain the Water intosaid pipes alternately and an operating connection from the bucket tothe valve adapted to drain into the waste pipe While the bucket hangsempty within the down-spout, and during the first Wash therethrough, butto deflect the water from the waste pipe to the cistern pipe when thebucket becomes filled and thereby drawn by gravity out of the spout,substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, a casing, a down-spout enteringthe upper portion thereof, a bucket suspended coaxially therewith, asheave within the spout, a cistern pipe, a waste pipe, a valve adaptedto drain the Water alternately into the cistern and the waste pipe, anda flexible suspending device extending from the bucket over said sheaveand having its end connected to the valve so as to operate the same bygravity when the bucket fills, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EVAN S. SHELBY. Witnesses i L. H. POTZLER, JAMES H. MARE.-

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). 0.

